Duarte council keeps $4.5 million park ask in draft budget, orders $20,000 design add to explore parking option; pool closure debated

Duarte City Council members on Tuesday reviewed the proposed 2026–27 budget and gave staff direction to keep a $4.5 million general‑fund allocation for Duarte Park Phase 2 in the draft budget while adding $20,000 to the design work to evaluate an optional parking lot.

Assistant City Manager and Director of Administrative Services Kristen Peterson opened the workshop with the bottom‑line figures: "General fund revenues, as proposed right now, $26,573,800," and projected expenditures of $25,650,300. Peterson warned that including the staff‑recommended $4,500,000 of general‑fund support for Duarte Park Phase 2 — part of a $4.8 million project estimate — would change the projection into a $3,576,500 deficit.

Why it matters: staff said the park project is shovel‑ready and would add playgrounds, a dog park and basketball courts; council members split over whether to prioritize that work now or to push for grant‑eligible projects such as a public‑safety building. Peterson noted the park already carries a small Measure A contribution: "Phase 2 is the one that includes the playground, dog park, and the basketball courts. The total cost is currently projected at $4,800,000. It would be $4,500,000 from the general fund and $273,000, which we have in Measure A park funds."

On the parking‑lot question, staff said construction of a new lot was estimated at about $800,000 but that the council could get better pricing if the work were included in bids for the full project. Manuel Enriquez, answering council questions about the design timeline, said the council could add the option now: "It's not too late. We haven't finalized the drawing. So if there was a time to do it, this would definitely be the time to say you wanna include that within the design and amend for that $20." Council members generally agreed to budget the $20,000 so staff could produce bid‑ready plans that include the parking‑lot alternative.

Pool closure debate: staff also recommended a short‑term return to the prior seasonal closure (October–January) for the municipal pool, saying it would generate an estimated net savings of $42,000 and potentially extend the pool's useful life while the city pursues funding for a roughly $5 million renovation. Peterson cautioned that school swim programs and other partnerships would shape any final decision: council was told the Duarte Unified School District typically uses the pool starting in February, so staff recommended keeping February open.

Council asked about impacts on employees and members. Staff said seasonal lifeguards and internal employees could be reassigned to other facilities and that options such as prorating annual memberships or temporary arrangements with neighboring facilities (Monrovia YMCA was cited as a past partner) could soften the impact. Staff cited roughly 240 paid fitness‑center members; council discussed how many annual memberships would be affected and whether to prorate for avid lap swimmers.

Funding context and process: Peterson reviewed reserve options, saying staff would propose using $2,114,000 in assigned special projects funds (former ARPA funds) and $2,400,000 of unassigned general fund balance to cover the park if the council chose to proceed. She told the council the numbers would be refined once the city went out to bid and that staff would return with bid results and a final budget and five‑year CIP for the June 9 meeting.

Outcome: After discussion staff collected council direction to include the $20,000 design add, keep the $4.5 million park allocation in the draft budget for now, and return with bid numbers; the council then voted to "receive and file" the budget highlights, a motion that carried on a voice vote.

The council did not adopt any final budget appropriations at the workshop; final decisions will come with the formal budget adoption process next month.